Although some films have been performing very well at the box-office in recent times, there is still a feeling of insecurity among stars, filmmakers, writers and producers. Can you explain this phenomenon?

– The insecurity is because several of the films which are scoring at the turnstiles are not films in the regular ‘commercial’ mould, as the trade understands. That is to say, nobody expected those films to work at the box-office. Since those films do not fit into any set formula, the industry people are feeling scared and insecure because they can’t predict a success before release. The feeling of security comes when films with huge expectations click, and those which are not expected to do well, actually flop. But the trade had better get used to this new pattern because this may now become the norm. The usual kind of entertainers may not always work at the ticket-windows whereas the unusual stuff may increasingly work wonders.          

What kind of opening day do you expect Drishyam: The Conclusion to have?

– The release date (2nd October) is still two complete weeks away. It would be futile to hazard a guess today as the craze for the third and last instalment of DRISHYAM is only expected to grow with each passing day. Since 2nd October is a national holiday on account of Gandhi Jayanti, and also because DRISHYAM is a huge brand, you can surely expect a bumper initial for DRISHYAM: THE CONCLUSION. As of today, I’d say, at least Rs. 40 crore!

Kunal Kemmu’s first directorial venture, Madgaon Express, had done fair business. But his second film, Vibe, could not even open to average houses today. Just why?

– MADGAON EXPRESS was not a hit that VIBE should’ve opened to good houses. The title VIBE is not the one which could’ve brought the Hindi film-going audience to the cinemas in the first show. How many people who don’t speak English even understand the meaning of the word? Besides, unless you are a top ‘A’-list hero, you cannot expect your previous film’s box-office performance to help your new film’s opening, generally speaking!

Any reason for the below-the-mark opening of Haiwaan today?

– The publicity was not up to the mark. Also, the public realised that Akshay Kumar does not have a full-length role in the film.      

To what do you give credit for the stupendous success of Hanuman Ansh?

– To two Cs: the Content which took two weeks for the public to appreciate. And to the distribution team of Cinepolis for treating the film with so much love and care.

What is the real reason for Akshaye Khanna not being a part of Drishyam: The Conclusion?

– There are several reasons, actually. He wanted a big increase in his fees. He also did not want to be seen with a bald pate, which was his look in DRISHYAM 2. Thirdly, he probably did not want to be seen as a loser in the climax, more so, after the runaway success of DHURANDHAR.   

Is the terrific opening of Mirzapur The Movie today because of the Janmashtami holiday or due to some other reason?

– The bumper opening of MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE is because of the Janmashtami holiday and also because of the immense popularity of the MIRZAPUR web series. The world and characters of the film and the web series are the same.      

What has led to the immense success of Hanuman Ansh?

– Mouth publicity! The film fared poorly in the first two weeks. Collections picked up from the third week onwards. The film is now doing extraordinary business not just where Neeb Karori Baba, on whose story the film is based, is popular but also in other parts of the country where he is not as well-known.

I have access to unlimited funds for producing films. All I need are some good scripts. Can you help me contact good writers who have great subjects? What should my modus operandi be?

– Your modus operandi should be to not let the world know that you are flush with funds. Otherwise, you will be surrounded by people who will promise to connect you with writers who have “great subjects”. The truth is that nobody knows what a “great subject” is. The greatness of a subject is often out only when a film clicks at the box-office, because there is no objective way of assessing the value or worth of a script. The day you understand how to assess a “great script”, do let me know.  

Like Victory cinema of Bangalore has decided to remit cent per cent collections of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups to the producers without retaining its share, has any cinema done so in the past? In other words, has any cinema, before Victory, screened a film on zero terms?

– Yes, Phoenix Cinemas in Veraval (Gujarat) screened Rohit Shetty’s SOORYAVANSHI in 2021 on zero terms. This was done in appreciation of the film’s producers not having succumbed to pressure and releasing the film on OTT during the COVID-19 lockdown but rather waiting for the cinemas to reopen. Of course, the film’s producers and distributors, Reliance Entertainment, reciprocated and forced the cinema to take its share of collections.      

Given the first day’s bumper opening and the second day’s drop in collections, where do you see the Hindi dubbed version of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups landing?

– Not very far. The film will entail losses for sure!

Will the experiment of Mirzapur The Movie work? If it does, will more web series be converted into films with new stories shot as films?

– Even if the experiment works, it may not necessarily start off a trend of web series being reshot as films with story extensions. 

With the release of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups just five days away, what is your estimated box-office figure for the Hindi dubbed version for the first day?

– The first day’s net collection could be Rs. 50 crore — or even more!   

When a Hollywood franchise like Spider-Man is so popular in India too, why doesn’t a Bollywood production house build a similar franchise — may be borrowed from Indian mythology — for the Indian market?

– Easier said than done!        

Will Aamir Khan suffer a loss in Batwara 1947 or had he recovered the cost and made a table profit before its release last week?

– He had not pre-sold the digital and satellite rights and hence he had not recovered his cost. With the film having failed so miserably at the ticket windows, he is bound to suffer a loss. 

What did you think of the trailer of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups? Why is there negative talk about it in the trade?

– The trailer is terrific. There are people in the trade who feel that the trailer does not serve the purpose as one can’t understand the story. Our point is that the trailer need not always reveal the story; sometimes, it is more than enough if it succeeds in creating intrigue. And the trailer of TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS has done that — it has created so much intrigue that it has served its purpose. Frankly, the job of a film trailer is to get the public interested in watching the film on the opening day or in the opening weekend! The trailer of TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS has absolutely and completely done that. You can be sure that the film will open to bumper houses on 26th August.   

Why do you think, this week’s Awarapan 2 has taken a better start than Batwara 1947? After all, Batwara 1947 is a bigger film — bigger stars, bigger budget.

– Bigger budgets don’t always ensure bigger openings. Overall, the appeal of AWARAPAN 2 for the youth was greater than that of BATWARA 1947. Since the initial value of a film is mostly decided by how the youngsters perceive a film (because they comprise a good part of the first day’s audience), AWARAPAN 2 took a far better start than BATWARA 1947. Since BATWARA 1947, at the core, is the story of an old lady (character played by Shabana Azmi) who refuses to leave her home in Lahore, it did not catch the fancy of the young public. Of course, if the film is loved by the audience and its word of mouth is positive, collections can pick up. But a flying start for the film was, in any case, a difficult goal to reach.        

Haven’t the producers of Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2 taken a risk by releasing their films this week? I ask this question because after just two weeks, cinemas are all expected to rush to accommodate Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups in as many cinemas and shows as possible.

– Not after two complete weeks, TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS will release after just 12 days — on 26th August (Wednesday). So, in a way, BATWARA 1947 and AWARAPAN 2 will both get a clear playing field for just 12 days, not even for two complete weeks. But that’s how this trade functions. New films release week after week. And so, two weeks (in this case, 12 days) without a major opposition is quite good. 

Rajkumar Santoshi says, he struggled to get a producer to back his script of Batwara 1947 for almost two decades. He is a successful and an accomplished filmmaker. Then, how did it take him so many years to get someone to back Batwara 1947?

– It is not as if he did not get a producer to back him. What he says is that he didn’t get a producer to back his script of BATWARA 1947. All those approached by him had some reservation or the other about the film. Some found the subject not commercial enough, some found the budget too high, some others had reservations about an India-Pakistan subject, still others did not fancy the hero playing a Muslim character who goes away to Pakistan.  

Will Preity Zinta continue to act in films or is her comeback film, Batwara 1947, a one-off case?

– BATWARA 1947 may not be a one-off case for Preity Zinta because after BATWARA 1947, she has another film — Kunal Kemmu’s VIBE — releasing this year itself. Although she would be open to more acting assignments, you can’t, of course, expect that she will sign films left right and centre.     

Like Prahaar – The Ujjwal Nikam Story, is Maddock Films’ Eetha also being postponed?

– Rumours are rife in trade circles that EETHA might also be postponed to avoid a clash with TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS.  

What did you think of the trailer of Batwara 1947? Will the public accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim character in a film with an India-Pakistan story? Don’t you think, Rajkumar Santoshi is playing with fire because of the casting?

– The trailer is outstanding! Why will the audience not accept Sunny Deol playing a Muslim character in an India-Pakistan story? He is playing a Muslim hero, not a villain.   

Is it true that Sunny Deol will not be seen in the first part of Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana?

– You must be aware that RAMAYANA will be released in two parts. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman in RAMAYANA and hence he does not have a role in the film’s first part. His entry will mark the end of the first part of the film. Hanuman — and therefore — Sunny Deol will be seen in a full-fledged role in the film’s second part. Incidentally, Sunny’s entry as Hanuman at the end of RAMAYANA PART 1 will be met with an earth-shattering response by the public in the cinema halls.     

What was the first day’s net collection total of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in India if you take into account the original as well as all the dubbed versions?

– An unbelievable Rs. 61 crore!! The total gross collection figure for Day 1 was Rs. 73 crore. This is the biggest ever opening for a Hollywood film in India, that too, on a non-holiday Thursday (which is an odd day for release).  

How has Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey done so well in India when the reports were mixed?

– Reports of all films released are mixed. This has been true since time immemorial. The only difference is that after the advent of social media, negative reports get amplified many times over. If you notice, as far as talking about films and film people is concerned, there is more negativity than positivity on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. That’s because many believe that they can get eyeballs if they criticise a film or a celebrity in the harshest possible language. Coming back to THE ODYSSEY, the question is not about mixed reports; it is about the percentage of people talking negative as compared to those who’ve liked the film.   

Has the trailer launch of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana been postponed?

– Yes, it has been postponed. The trailer will now be released globally because the deal for the Overseas distribution rights has just been closed with Sony Pictures Entertainment. That’s what Namit Malhotra’s announcement says. If one reads between the lines, it would appear that he has postponed the trailer launch in view of the volatile atmosphere in the country because of student unrest. Anyway, thanks to the Sony deal, RAMAYANA would now become the first Indian film to be released simultaneously the world over extensively — like any big-ticket Hollywood film.   

When will the trailer of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups be released?

– It will be released in Bangalore on 8th August. The film will hit the screens on 26th August (Wednesday).    

It was felt by the trade that Dhamaal 4 would not succeed at the box-office because it was coming just two weeks after Welcome To The Jungle which belonged to the same genre. Then what was the reason for Dhamaal 4 to have done well?

– The trade goes by fixed perceptions. But films don’t follow any pattern. That’s because there are no rules which are sacrosanct in film business.    

Has Dharma Productions paid MG royalty for acquiring the distribution rights of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayan?

– No, the payment is advance and the rights are for the Hindi version for all India (except South).  

After Jigra, even Alia Bhatt’s Alpha has failed at the box-office. Does that mean that Alia is not cut out for women-centric action films?

– More than that, it means that both the films were not what the audience wanted to watch.